LA’s Karen Bass Tries to Claim Victory, Pete Hegseth Sets the Record Straight

The Pentagon has confirmed that more than 1,300 National Guard troops deployed to Los Angeles in June have been withdrawn, following the completion of their assignment to restore order during the unrest that erupted in the city.

The deployment, initiated by President Donald Trump on June 7, came after widespread anti-ICE riots led to significant property damage and violence.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass had faced heavy criticism during and after the unrest, particularly for being absent from the city while on a trip to Ghana in early January as fire warnings escalated in Los Angeles County.

Karen Bass claims she wasn’t aware of any danger before leaving for her vacation in Ghana. This is A BLATANT LIE.

There were fire weather warnings the day before she left.

Her own X page SHARED THE ALERTS on the day they were aired.

Karen Bass needs to resign. IMMEDIATELY pic.twitter.com/fm0TeItlZn

— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) February 19, 2025

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That criticism intensified again in June when local officials struggled to contain mass protests that escalated into rioting, prompting the Trump administration to authorize the National Guard’s involvement without formal approval from California Governor Gavin Newsom.

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On Wednesday, the New York Times reported that roughly 1,350 National Guard troops were withdrawn from the Los Angeles area.

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed that approximately 250 personnel would remain in place to provide continued protection of federal property and facilities.

“The Pentagon on Wednesday released more than a thousand troops who had been sent to Los Angeles in June,” the Times reported.

“The withdrawal of roughly 1,350 members of the Guard comes after thousands of other troops were released in recent weeks.”

The troops deployed were part of the California National Guard’s 49th Military Police Brigade.

The demobilization occurred with about one week remaining in what had originally been projected as a 60-day mission.

Another win for Los Angeles tonight: 1,000 more troops are retreating.

We will continue this pressure until ALL troops are out of L.A.https://t.co/spbTtO09TS

— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) July 31, 2025

The White House had signaled the timeline in early June when federal troops arrived under President Trump’s directive.

While the move marks the end of the Guard’s core mission in Los Angeles, Mayor Bass framed the withdrawal as a political victory, suggesting that pressure from her administration influenced the decision.

Bass posted on social media that her office had been in communication with the Pentagon and claimed credit for the reduction in troop presence.

However, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly clarified that the drawdown was part of the scheduled end to the mission and had nothing to do with local political pressure.

“The withdrawal was always part of the operational timeline,” Hegseth said in response to Bass’s statement.

“Mission parameters were met. This was a coordinated, phased conclusion, not a political decision.”

You’re welcome Mayor.

These brave troops are redeploying because their mission was so successful.

You should be thanking them for saving your city from mobs & chaos.

We will continue to support law enforcement—even when you won’t. https://t.co/BQPKfDQTJk

— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) July 31, 2025

The legal debate over the federal deployment had earlier sparked tension between President Trump and Governor Newsom, who had objected to the federal government’s authority to place troops in California without state consent.

However, Trump cited federal responsibility to protect national security and restore order when state and local leaders were unable or unwilling to do so.

During the height of the unrest in June, multiple areas of Los Angeles experienced looting, vandalism, and assaults on law enforcement.

Federal buildings and personnel were targeted, which led to the involvement of Guard units specifically tasked with securing federal property.

Though the majority of the Guard has now been withdrawn, the Pentagon has reiterated that a small number of troops will remain in the city to support security operations as needed.